Dead Cert | novel by Francis | Britannica.com novel by Francis THIS IS A DIRECTORY PAGE. Britannica does not currently have an article on this topic. Learn about this topic in these articles: in Dick Francis In 1962 Francis turned to fiction with a successful first novel, Dead Cert (filmed 1974). Thereafter he averaged a book a year, all set in the world of horse racing. His books usually feature an amateur sleuth who uses classic deductive reasoning to solve the central mystery and who becomes emotionally involved with the case. The typical Francis villain is a pretentious snob whose... Dead Cert by Dick Francis audio book | Simply Audiobooks Author Details Francis, Dick " Dick Francis was born in Lawrenny, South Wales in 1920. He served in the Royal Air Force for six years during World War II, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft including the Spitfire and Lancaster between 1943 and 1946. Following the war, Francis, the son of a jockey, became a celebrity in the world of British National Hunt racing.

He won more than 350 races, was Champion Jockey in 1953/54, and was retained as jockey to Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth the Queen Mother for four seasons, 1953 through 1957. Francis rode eight times in the world famous Grand National Steeplechase, and nearly won in 1956 when his horse, the Queen Mother's Devon Loch, a few strides away from victory with a clear field, suddenly collapsed. This incident, which Francis calls ""both the high point and low point of my career as a jockey,"" was the impetus for him to begin a second career as a writer. Shortly after the incident, a literary agent approached Francis about writing an autobiography. In 1957, Francis suffered another serious fall and was advised to retire from race riding. He completed his autobiography, The Sport of Queens, which was published later that year, and accepted an invitation to write six features for the London Sunday Express. He stayed on as the newspaper's racing correspondent for 16 years. Sports writing soon led to fiction writing, which in turn led to a string of bestselling novels.

His first, Dead Cert, was published in 1962. His 36th novel, 10 Lb. Penalty, was published in the U.S. by G.P. Putnam's Sons in September 1997. In addition to his novels and autobiography, Francis has also published a biography of Lester Piggott, A Jockey's Life, and eight short stories. He has edited (with John Welcome) four collections of racing stories, and has contributed to anthologies and periodicals. Francis's books have been bestsellers in a number of countries, and have been translated into more than 30 languages, including all European languages, Japanese, Korean, Taiwanese, Bantu, and several dialects of Chinese. Each of his novels has also been recorded on audio in both Britain and the United States. Francis was made an Officer of the most noble Order of the British Empire in 1984, and was awarded the British Crime Writers Association silver dagger in 1965, gold dagger in 1980 and Cartier diamond dagger for his life's work in 1990.

The recipient of three Edgar Allen Poe Awards for Best Novel from the Mystery Writers of America, most recently for 1995's Come to Grief, Francis is the only person to have been awarded the prestigious award more than once. The Mystery Writers of America named Francis Grand Master for his life's work in 1996, and he was awarded an Honorary Doctorate of Humane Letters from Tufts University in 1991. Francis' adored wife Mary, who helped with much of the research for his books, died in 2000, shortly after they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. With the death of his Mary, his spiritual and literary helpmate, he decided to call it a day. His 39th book, Shattered, was published in 2001. " Dead Cert Audiobook | Dick Francis | Audible.com "Book, narrator superb; recording quality poor" I find all the Dick Francis novels wonderful to listen to while in my car. Although I've read them all, some twice, Tony Britton's narration improves on the books -- the various accents he manages are a revelation (we don't read in accents, actually).

I sympathize with the listener who didn't enjoy hearing Britton cover Joe's drunken whining, but it was as grating as the character was intended to be. The single great flaw is in the recording quality. It is remarkably uneven, both in volume and tone, such that different takes or sessions become extremely obvious. If this were a film, we'd be looking for the continuity director. In this case the engineer should be taken out and hung. "Why a different version?" I've been a member of Audible for years and downloaded this audiobook multiple times. On every other occasion, what I heard was the Simon Prebble rendition. This time it was read by Tony Britton. He is a good narrator, but it's not the book I paid for. I shouldn't have to keep all my books on my device in order to ensure that I don't get a different version of it from one listen to the next. This sort of thing has been happening a lot lately. I listen to the books so often that I almost know some of them by heart, and when something is different, I notice it immediately.

Regarding the book itself, it's the very first one by Dick Francis, the one that made him a star in the world of detective fiction. His writing improved with subsequent books, but all the great qualities were already present--his ability to depict people's innate character, in particular. "Amateur sleuth does too many stupid things" The cover of the book says “Dick Francis The Grand Master of Crime Fiction.” Sorry, but I disagree. Too much illogic and stupidity. Alan’s father tells others “Alan has a Sherlock-Holmes-type nature. He is good at sniffing out trouble and bad guys.” Well, I don’t recall Sherlock Holmes doing stupid things. Sure Alan figures out who the bad guys are and causes them to get caught, but he does stupid things along the way. Stupidity examples: 1. During a race, a bad guy strings wire over a jumping fence that kills Bill. Alan sees the wire but he’s not sure what it is. Does he immediately go to the authorities to investigate? No. He spends hours at the hospital with Bill’s wife, and then later goes to the race course to investigate. He sees the wire. Does he take a picture of it or take someone with him as a witness?

No. He goes away and brings someone back later, and by that time it’s gone. The local policeman questions a few race course employees, but he doesn’t do any more investigating. The reason is there is no second witness to the wire. Also, why did the bad guy wait hours before removing the wire? Not logical. 2. Thugs attack Alan telling him to stop investigating. He receives more threats. He is about to run another race, and he expects the bad guys will put up a wire to take him down. His thinking is “I don’t want the other jockeys to get hurt, so I’ll stay in front and take the wire.” STUPID!!!! He is wealthy. He could easily hire some private investigator or body guard types to hide near the various jumping fences with cameras. They could take pictures of bad things happening and probably prevent it. Did he do anything like that? No. Instead, his horse hit the wire, he fell on the ground, got tromped by other horses, and then a bad guy walks up and kicks him in the head and ribs, giving him amnesia, a concussion, and broken ribs on top of the other injuries. Would Sherlock Holmes do that? No. 3.

Alan knows a bad guy is sitting in his office, has a gun, and wants Alan dead. Alan’s weapon is a roll of coins in a bag. Alan goes to the bad guy, plans to sneak up on him and hit him before he can be shot. Why doesn’t Alan take a better weapon or someone with him? Incomplete ending: Alan has a scuffle with a bad guy. The bad guy gets injured, but the book ends without saying what the injury is. Is the guy dead or alive? Will there be evidence to put him away? We don’t know. The happy ending is “Alan didn’t get injured in that scuffle.” Unsupported romance thrown in: This felt like the author threw in a romance without paying attention. It wasn’t realistic. Alan meets Kate. He thinks she is beautiful. They have two dates: one out to dinner and one at her home. He kisses her once. She kisses like a sister. He looks forward to awakening her passionate nature later. He tells her he loves her and wants to marry her. He proposes more than once. There was no character development about her. Does she have anything upstairs? She never said anything of interest. I don’t know what they talked about. What made him love her?

This needed some dialogue. No cell phones: This was published in 1962, before cell phones. Frequently I thought how different this story would be if Alan had a cell phone. I suppose it is interesting to be reminded of what life was like without them. My favorite part: I really liked the story about Tompkins who owned a local bar. Thugs beat him up and destroyed his property. They wanted weekly extortion money. I liked what he did to protect himself and what he did with other local shop owners. He did smart things that worked. He was my hero. But his story wasn’t big enough. It was a minor side story. NARRATOR: I will probably avoid the narrator Tony Britton if I can. I think he would be ok for British people, but his British accent was hard for me to understand. I had to concentrate and pay careful attention. It took energy. Hearing American speak is easier and more enjoyable for me. Some reviewers complained about his voice for the drunk character Joe. I didn’t like it either, but it was only a few scenes. My problem was his narration of the whole book. Don’t get me wrong. I love to hear people speak with a British accent in conversation.

I just don’t want an entire book of it. ENDING: happy although incomplete. Dick Francis - The Complete List Dick Francis - the Complete List Compiled by Jane Beaumont Have you ever wondered whether you have read a particular Dick Francis novel, or which was the one about "....", or what else he has written? Most of the summary descriptions are extracted from publishers' notes. Any errors are my responsibility. Many of the titles are out-of-print but hard-back, paperback, large print and audio editions are available in public libraries. When this list was started in June 1997 there did not seem to be any Dick Francis web sites. Now there there is a ring of us to keep fans up to date, see below Please send suggestions and comments to: info@beaumont.ca Title Jockey turns private detective to solve the murder of his friend and fellow jockey. Nerve 1964 A young jockey is struggling to make his name but it looks as though he has lost his nerve - or has he? Odds Against 1965 The first Sid Halley book. Sid, champion jockey has to give up when his hand is smashed, so he turns to a new life as a private eye.

For Kicks Australian visitor goes undercover as a stable hand to solve a racehorse doping scandal Flying Finish 1966 A young aristocrat throws up a respectable job to join a firm which transports race horses all over the world. Blood Sport 1967 An encounter with a couple in punt leads investigator Gene Hawkins on a chase for lost horses across the United States. Forfeit 1968 Racing correspondent for a newspaper dedicated to exposing scandals in the noisiest way becomes involved in exposing a racing fraud while dealing with the problems of his marriage to a woman housebound by polio. Enquiry 1969 To a jockey losing his licence is the equivalent of being disbarred or struck off. Kelly Hughes is not guilty and with nothing left to lose he begins a search for the men who framed him. Rat Race Air taxi business for race goers featuring an in-the-air rescue sequence. Bonecrack 1971 At first the abduction at Newmarket seems to have no purpose as Neil Griffin is set free within hours. Then the threats of injury and extortion begin.

Smokescreen 1972 An actor goes to South Africa to solve a racing mystery for a friend and the result is villainy and intrigue more deadly than any of his films. Slay Ride 1973 Set in Norway's fjord country where an official of the English jockey club is sent to investigate the disappearance of steeplechase jockey. Knock Down 1974 Ex-jockey purchases a modestly priced horse for a commission and finds someone else is willing to kill to obtain the horse. High Stakes 1975 Steven Scott, wealthy toy maker and racehorse owner, sacks his trainer because he suspects he's a crook. The trainer threatens to sue Scott for slander if Scott tells anyone why he fired the trainer. Scott is viewed as the bad guy by the horse racing crowd for firing a trainer who had provided him with horses that won races . In The Frame 1976 Jockey turned portrait artist for horses becomes involved in solving the murder of his cousin's wife. Risk 1977 An amateur jockey, who is also a partner in an accounting firm, wins the Gold Cup and then he is abducted not once, but twice for no apparent reasons.

Trial Run 1978 A retired jockey is sent to Moscow on a delicate investigation involving royalty and the Moscow Olympics. Whip Hand 1979 Second Sid Halley novel - Sid outwits a sadistic bookie and chain-wielding goons during the investigation of a doping scandal. Reflex 1981 A jockey turns to photography as a career and becomes embroiled in the aftermath of the strange death of a racetrack photographer. Twice Shy Computer program containing bookie-breaking system is unintentionally given to a sharp-shooting physics teacher. Banker Merchant banker wants to invest in a prime stallion The Danger 1983 Finding kidnappers is the company's business. A girl jockey disappears, followed by the young child of a Derby winner, and the senior steward of the Jockey Club. Proof 1984 An unexplained accident during a Sunday morning party at a racing stable leads the wine merchant into solving the mystery. Break In 1985 Kit Fielding #1: Kit's twin sister is married to the son of Maynard Allardeck, who maintains a feud against the Fieldings, and their stables are the target of a smear campaign.

Bolt 1986 Kit Fielding #2: A princess is blackmailed, and his feud with Maynard Allardeck has once again intensified. Hot Money 1987 A millionaire's estranged, fifth wife is murdered and he turns to the son of one of his previous wives for help. The Edge Murder mystery on the Canadian transcontinental train. Straight 1989 Jockey's brother Greville dies mysteriously, and he inherits his business, gemstones, gadgets, enemies, horses and even his mistress. Longshot 1990 Author who has written six books on survival skills is commissioned to write the biography of a famous racehorse trainer. Comeback 1991 Diplomat returns to England and becomes embroiled in a racing mystery involving a veterinary surgeon with serious troubles. Driving Force 1992 Retired jockey, Freddie Croft, runs a fleet of transporters for race horses. One of his drivers picks up a hitch hiker and the firm becomes embroiled in a complicated conspiracy. Decider 1993 Architect builder, and father of six sons, is drawn into a family squabble to save the multi-million Stratton Park race course.

Wild Horses 1994 While making a film about racing in Newmarket, the director finds himself facing a dilemma of whether to reveal the truth which he learned from a deathbed confession. Come To Grief 1995 Sid Halley becomes convinced that one of his closest friends, and a well known television personality is behind a series of violent acts against horses To The Hilt 1996 Artist in Scotland has a quiet life until he returns home one day to find a group of strangers waiting for him. 10 lb penalty 1997 In practice, a 10-lb penalty is the maximum extra weight a winning thoroughbred is normally set to carry in a horse race. Ben Juliard discovers a 10-lb penalty can be a killer when he finds himself the target of his politician father's enemies. Fix the National and other racing stories ? Audio book - five short stories of racing world mysteries. Chief superintendent Crispin wanted the impossible. He had asked the stewards to fix the Grand National! Even if it meant catching the perpetrators of the Birmingham Bank robbery, could the Jockey Club sanction such a move, and how could they pull it off?

Field of 13 1998 Thirteen short stories, some old and included in the audio tape described above, and others new. Thirteen diverse characters from book-makers to news editors, from crooked lawyers to contract killers. Second Wind 1999 This time hurricanes and the men who chart and follow them are the theme of the book. The hero is Perry Stuart, a TV weatherman who, while chasing a hurricane, becomes embroiled in a storm of a very different sort (Globe and Mail, October 29, 1999) Shattered 2000 When a jockey dies following a fall in a steeplechase, he accidentally embroils his friend Gerry Logan, an artisan glassblower, in a perilous search for a stolen videotape.ï¿½ ï¿½.

Glass shatters.ï¿½ Logan doesnï¿½t ï¿½ but itï¿½s a close thing.ï¿½ (Dust jacket notes) Under Orders 2006 Sid Halley is drawn into investigation of three deaths, race fixing and internet gamblingï¿½ï¿½ ï¿½the darker side of the race game, in a life and death power play that will push him to his very limits ï¿½ both professionally and personally.ï¿½ï¿½ï¿½ (dust jacket notes) Dead Heat 2007 (with his son, Felix Francis) a restaurant owner gets into hot water when guests at a gala race course dinner become very ill with food poisoning. Silks 2008 (with Felix Francis) Geoffrey Mason, barrister, is also an amateur jockey.ï¿½ But when a fellow rider is brutally murdered the prime suspect is a champion jockey.ï¿½ Mason soon finds himself fighting a battle of right and wrong and more immediately a battle of life and death ... his own.

Even Money 2009 (with Felix Francis)ï¿½ Bookie Ned Talbot uncovers the truth about his father and becomes embroiled in a gambling scam.ï¿½ ï¿½This race may prove deadlyï¿½ If you want more information about publishers, dates, etc. try searching the Library of Congress catalogue at The Ottawa Public Library suggests if you like Dick Francis, why not try the following authors? Robart Barnard,ï¿½ E.X. Ferrars, John Francome, Michael Innes, Roderick Jeffries, Martin Russell, Douglas Rutherford, or John Wainwright ï¿½ copyright 2000-09ï¿½ Beaumont and Associates Inc.

all rights reserved Most recent update: 30 October 2009 Dick Francis, British Jockey and Thriller Writer, Dies at 89 - The New York Times The New York Times Books |Dick Francis, Jockey and Writer, Dies at 89 Search Dick Francis, Jockey and Writer, Dies at 89 By MARILYN STASIO Continue reading the main story Dick Francis, whose notable but blighted career as a champion steeplechase jockey for the British royal family was eclipsed by a second, more brilliant career as a popular thriller writer, died on Sunday in the Cayman Islands, where he had a home. He was 89. The death was announced by a family spokeswoman. The author of more than 40 novels, most of them set in the world of thoroughbred horse racing, Mr. Francis made it a point of honor to satisfy fans with one book a year for most of his career. His works have been translated into languages around the world.

Although his first novel, “Dead Cert” in 1962, was made into a feature film, television adaptations of his stories have been more successful, including a British series broadcast here in 1980 as part of the public television series “Mystery!” That series doubled sales of his books in the United States. One of the most honored of genre authors, Mr. Francis was named to the Order of the British Empire and later made a commander. He won the Edgar Allan Poe Award of the Mystery Writers of America three times and was made a grand master, the group’s highest honor, in 1996. He also received the Diamond Dagger award, the highest honor of the Crime Writers Association of Great Britain, in 1990. Continue reading the main story “I never really decided to be a writer,” he wrote in his autobiography, “The Sport of Queens,” “I just sort of drifted into it.” Before he turned to writing, Mr. Francis was already a celebrity in British sporting circles.

Named champion jockey of the 1953-54 racing season by the British National Hunt after winning more than 350 races, he was retained as jockey to the queen mother for four seasons and raced eight times in the Grand National Steeplechase. Advertisement Continue reading the main story When Devon Loch, the horse he was racing for the queen mother in the 1956 Grand National, collapsed in a spectacular mishap just before he would have won, Mr. Francis feared, as he put it in his autobiography, that he would be remembered as “the man who didn’t win the National.” This setback, along with the accumulated miseries of injuries, forced him into early retirement at the age of 36. But with the same pluck characteristic of the jockeys, trainers and other horsemen who serve as the heroes of his novels, he took a job writing sports articles for The Sunday Express of London and served as that newspaper’s racing correspondent for 16 years. Photo Dick Francis in New York in 2000. Credit Jim Cooper/Associated Press A chance encounter with a literary agent led to his writing “The Sport of Queens,” published the year after he retired.

Emboldened by its success (and further motivated by his paltry wages as a journalist), he began writing “Dead Cert.” Drawing on his experiences as a jockey and his intimate knowledge of the racetrack crowd — from aristocratic owners to Cockney stable boys — the novel contained all the elements that readers would come to relish from a Dick Francis thriller. There was the pounding excitement of a race, the aura of the gentry at play, the sweaty smells from the stables out back, an appreciation for the regal beauty and unique personality of a thoroughbred — and enough sadistic violence to man and beast to satisfy the bloodthirsty. “Writing a novel proved to be the hardest, most self-analyzing task I had ever attempted,” Mr. Francis said, “far worse than an autobiography.” He went about his unaccustomed chore cautiously and methodically, as he might have approached a skittish horse. Working in pencil in an exercise book, he would labor over one sentence until he was satisfied that he could do no better, then move on to the next sentence. “My ‘first draft’ is IT,” Mr. Francis revealed in his autobiography, noting that he never rewrote.

“I’ve tried once or twice, but I haven’t the mental stamina and I feel all the time that although what I’m attempting may be different, it won’t be better and may very well be worse, because my heart isn’t in it.” “Nerve” appeared two years after “Dead Cert.” The former jockey had hung up his boots for good, and had become a professional author. Please verify you're not a robot by clicking the box. Invalid email address. Please re-enter. You must select a newsletter to subscribe to. Sign Up Privacy Policy After the death in 2000 of Mary Francis, his wife of 53 years and a close collaborator on his books, Mr. Francis expressed doubts that he would ever write another novel. “She was the moving force behind my writing,” he said. “I don’t think I shall write again other than letters now. So much of my work was her.” Indeed, he didn’t write another novel until “Under Orders” in 2006. That novel brought back Sid Halley, the retired steeplechase jockey who was his champion sleuth. Advertisement Continue reading the main story A year later, Mr.

Francis teamed up with his son, Felix Francis, to write “Dead Heat.” Father and son would go on to write two more novels together, “Silks” and “Even Money.” Felix Francis survives him along with another son, Merrick, five grandchildren and a great-grandson. Photo Mr. Francis jumping Devon Loch, the horse he was racing for the queen mother in the 1956 Grand National. Credit Jim Cooper Press Association Mr. Francis was a formulaic writer, even if the formula was foolproof. He drew the reader into the intimate and remarkably sensual experience of the world of racing. His writing never seemed better than when his jockey-heroes climbed on their mounts and gave themselves up to what he called “the old song in the blood.” This self-contained world was, of course, a reflection of a broader universe in which themes of winning and losing and courage and integrity have more sweeping meaning. As the critic John Leonard wrote, “Not to read Dick Francis because you don’t like horses is like not reading Dostoyevsky because you don’t like God.” After leading the reader into this subculture, Mr. Francis would then introduce an element of menace. A jockey is kidnapped (“Risk”).

A jockey commits suicide (“Nerve”). A jockey is killed (“Slay-Ride”). Horses are stolen (“Blood Sport”). Horses are mutilated (“Come to Grief”). Horses are killed (“Bolt”). Horrific things also happen to owners, trainers, breeders and stable hands. Into this disordered universe rides the hero, usually a jockey or a former jockey. Typically, the Dick Francis hero is a modest, decent fellow, a model of British valor and integrity, who restores order by asserting his superior moral values — and by going mano a mano with a ruthless villain who subjects him to unspeakable torture. Those livid passages are as much a hallmark of Mr. Francis’s thrillers as his more celebrated horse races. Although he once said that the extreme violence in his books was a reflection of “life in general,” it was more likely a sense-memory of his own painful injuries. His collarbone was broken 12 times, his nose five times, his skull once, his wrist once, and his ribs too many times to notice. He rode 12 races (winning two) with a broken arm. Dick Francis was born on Oct.

31, 1920, in Lawrenny, south Wales. As the son of a professional steeplechase rider and stable manager, he was introduced to horse racing early. Although he flew with the Royal Air Force during World War II, piloting fighter and bomber aircraft, the major flight research on “Flying Finish” and “Rat Race” was done by his wife. His final novel, “Crossfire,” is scheduled to be published later this year. A modest and reserved man, Mr. Francis took quiet pleasure in his success as an author. He once confessed to a moment of vanity when his publisher advertised a novel on the front of London buses. “I stood in Oxford Street watching them go by with an absolutely fatuous smile,” he said. Yet, in looking back at the decade that he rode horses for a living, he would call those years “the special ones. The first growth; the true vintage. The best years of my life.” A version of this article appears in print on February 15, 2010, on Page A19 of the New York edition with the headline: Dick Francis, Champion British Jockey Turned Best-Selling Author, Dies at 89.

Order Reprints | Today's Paper | Subscribe British Mystery Novels 1945 - 1990: The Amateur Detective Mystery Author Index British mystery writers prior to World War II may be found at Early Mystery Novels and Novels of the Golden Age . Authors whose first book was published after 1990 will be found at British Mysteries Since 1990. Josephine Bell (1897 - 1987) Pseudonym of Doris Bell Collier Ball. Bell was born in Manchester, England. She was a physician and married a physician. She started writing mystery novels in 1936, and many of her mystery novels had a medical background. Although she was popular in England, her novels did not appear in the United States until 1955. A bibliography of her books may be found here. V.C. Clinton-Baddeley (1900 - 1970) Victor Vaughn Reynolds Geraint Clinton Clinton-Baddeley had a varied life. He received an MA at Cambridge.

Following this, he was an editor for the Encyclopedia Britannica, an actor, an author of original plays, adaptations, operettas, and radio scripts, and the owner-manager of Jupiter Records which featured recordings of poetry. It was only in the last four years of his life that he started writing detective fiction. His series detective was Dr. R. V. Davie who was an English professor at Cambridge University. The first book in the series was Death's Bright Dart which was published in 1967. A bibliography of his books is at Classic Crime Fiction . He has a varied listing at the Internet Movie Database. . You may hear Clinton-Baddeley read on YouTube . (Yes, his name is spelled wrong on YouTube) James Hadley Chase (1906 - 1985) is the pen name of Rene Brabazon Raymond who produced more than eighty novels, and who may be the king of thriller writers in England. He was born in London. He worked selling encyclopedias door to door, and as a traveler for a book wholesaler. In 1939, he wrote No Orchids for Miss Blandish which became a phenomenal best seller.

He served as a squadron leader in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He wrote in the style of American hard-boiled detective novels, and his books were set in the United States although Chase was only there a very few times. For more information, see this article at Crime Time. Many of his books were made into movies and a list may be found at The Internet Movie Database. . A bibliography of his books is at Fantastic Fiction . E. X. Ferrars (1907-1995) - This is a pseudonym for Morna Doris MacTaggert. Ms. Ferrars was born in Rangoon, Burma and grew up in England. In 1928, she earned a degree in journalism from University College in London. She wrote several series in the best traditions of the cozy mystery. Biographical information. Julian Symons (1912-1994) British author of mysteries, poetry, biographies, and criticism. Though he wrote several mystery novels, Symons greatest contribution to the mystery genre was as a historian and critic. He was long an advocate of the crime novel as opposed to the more conventional puzzle mystery.

A short biography and a bibliography may be found here . More information will be found in his obituary in the New York Times. Ellis Peters (1913 - 1995) Pseudonym of Edith Pargeter. Ellis Peters wrote 90 books but it was only with the publication of the Brother Cadfael novels that she achieved wide spread recognition. The first Cadfael novel A Morbid Taste for Bones was published in 1977. Edith Pargeter - A biography by Paul White for Dawley Heritage. The Cadfael Chronicles Dick Francis (1920 - 2010) was born in Tenby in southern Wales. He was riding horses by age five. He dropped out of school at age fifteen. He served as a pilot in the Royal Air Force during World War II. He became a professional jockey in 1948, and became one of the top jockies in England. In 1957, he retired from racing and started writing. He started as racing correspondent for the London Sunday Express. He published his first novel Dead Cert in 1962.

His horse racing novels were extremely popular and he won the Silver Dagger Award from the Crime Writers Association, and in 1996, he was named a Grand Master by the Mystery Writers of America. A bibliography of his books may be found at the Fantastic Fiction web site. Edmund Crispin (1921 - 1978). Crispin is the pen name of Robert Bruce Montgomery. His series mysteries featuring amateur detective Gervaise Fen are some of the wittiest and most literate novels in the genre. Crispin was born in Chesham Bois, and attended St. John's College at Oxford University. He wrote his first Fen novel, The Case of the Gilded Fly in 1944 while still an undergraduate at Oxford. After graduation, he worked for a short time as a teacher, and was a reviewer of mystery novels for the Sunday Times. Under his Montgomery name, he published songs, choral pieces, and film scores and is best know for the scores for the Carry On movies. A biography and bibliography may be found at the Golden Age of Detection web site.

Margaret Yorke (1924 - 2012) Yorke is the pen name of Margaret Beda Nicholson. Yorke has written a short series of mysteries featuring amateur sleuth Patrick Grant, but most of her books have been stand-alone novels of crime, psychological suspense, and revenge. She has written over 50 books, and has won the CWA Golden Dagger award and the Diamond Dagger award. A biography and bibliography may be found at Wikipedia . More information may be found in her obituary in the Guardian. Hazel Holt (1928 - 2015) - British author of a very enjoyable series which features Sheila Malory, author and amateur detective, in a small English town. Ms. Holt has also written the biography of Barbara Pym. A bibliography of her books may be found at Fantastic Fiction . There is an interview with Ms. Holt at the Coffeetown Press web site. Antonia Fraser (1932 - ) grew up in Oxford. She is the daughter of Francis Aungier Pakenham who became the Earl of Longford in 1961. She received her bachelor's and master's degrees from the University of Oxford.

She was married to Sir Hugh Charles Patrick Joseph Fraser in 1956. Later they were divorced, and she married the playwright Harold Pinter. She wrote a number of biographical works on figures from English history, but is know to mystery readers for her series about Jemimah Shore who is a British television reporter. The first Jemima Shore book, Quiet at a Nun was published in 1977. She received the Gold Dagger award from the Crime Writers Association for her nonfiction book The Gunpowder Plot. A bibliography of her works may be found at Fantastic Fiction Jonathan Gash (1933 - ) is the pen name of John Grant. Grant was born in Bolton. He studied medicine at the Royal College of Surgeons and Physicians. While studying there, he worked in antiques junk shops and as a stall attendant at a street antique market. Grant has had a general practice, worked at a pathologist, and a microbiologist. He is a fellow of International College of Surgeons and of the Royal Society of Tropical Medicine. He published the first Lovejoy novel, The Judas Pair in 1977 which won the Creasy Award for the best first novel.

The Lovejoy series ran on television from 1986 to 1994. A bibliography of his works may be found at Fantastic Fiction . Jill Paton Walsh (1937 - ) - Ms. Walsh has written childrens and adult novels. She has also completed the novel, Thrones, Dominations, which Dorothy L. Sayers left uncompleted, and has since written other Lord Peter Wimsey novels. She also writes delightful mysteries which tell of the detecting adventures of Imogene Quy, a nurse at a Combridge university. Jill Paton Walsh Web Site . Sarah Caudwell (1939 - 2000). Sarah Caudwell only wrote 4 mystery novels but they are gems which shouldn't be missed. Her sleuth was professor Hilary Tamar, an Oxford don. It is impossible to tell whether Hilary is a man or a woman. Tamar investigates crimes with the assistance of the barristers in chambers at Lincoln's Inn, and these are some of the most eccentric and wittiest characters in mystery literature.

The four books are Thus was Adonis Murdered, The Shortest Way to Hades, The Sirens Sang of Murder, and The Sibyl in Her Grave. For more information, read the article A Most Ingenious Legal Mind: Sarah Cauldwell by Martin Edwards. A biography and bibliography may be found at Crime and Mystery Fiction web site. Lindsey Davis (1939 - ) was born in Birmingham, read English at Oxford, and then worked in the civil service until 1985. She is best known for her series about Marcus Didius Falco, who solves crimes in Rome in the 70's. The first novel of the series, The Silver Pigs was published in 1989. Ms. Davis has won many awards including the CWA Cartier Diamond Dagger which honours outstanding achievement in the field of crime writing. For more information, visit her web site Ruth Dudley Edwards (1944 - ) Author of both mystery fiction and nonfiction. She is the author of several extremely funny satires of the English establishment. She was born in Ireland, but moved to England for college and has lived there ever since.

She has worked as a marketing executive, a civil servant, and a journalist. Her novels feature Robert Amiss, a civil servant, and also members of the police force. It is Amiss who usually solves the crime. Her first mystery novel was Corridors of Power. She has been shortlisted several times for CWA Last Laugh award. Her web site Simon Brett (1945 - ) Brett started his career as a television producer for BBC. His first series featured Charles Paris, a frequently out-of-work and frequently drinking actor who tries to solve mysteries. Brett also writes a series about Mrs. Pargeter, the well-to-do widow of a gentleman who was engaged in some sort of criminal activity. Mrs. Pargeter has learned some interesting skills from her late husband which help with her detective activities. His newest series is about the English retirement community of Featherington where the crimes are investigated by Carole Seddon and her friend Jude. For more information, visit Simon Brett's web site. Sarah J. Mason (1949 - ). Perhaps you know her better as Hamilton Crane, the author of the Miss Seeton Mysteries . Miss Seeton is a wonderfully eccentric retired art teacher who tackles the world of crime with her umbrella.

Mason took over this series from the first two writers, Heron Carvic and Hampton Charles. Miss Mason also writes a series under her own name about Detective Superintendent Trewley and Sargent Stone of the Allingham Police Department This site is maintained by Linda Bertland, Philadelphia, PA. Please address any comments, additions, or corrections to info@sldirectory.com Order of Dick Francis Books - OrderOfBooks.com Home | Characters | Authors Order of Dick Francis Books Dick Francis (1920-2010) was a British novelist of crime novels, largely involving horse racing. Before becoming an author, Francis was a champion jockey in British National Hunt racing. For four years, he was the jockey to The Queen Mother. Following a bad fall, he retired from racing and started on a writing career where he would write over 40 international bestsellers. Dick Francis wrote his first fiction novel in 1962, called Dead Cert. He would continue writing until his death in 2010.

Below is a list of Dick Francis’ books in order of when they were originally published: Publication Order of Sid Halley Books Odds Against Dead Cert Dead Cert, by Dick Francis Alan York is an amateur jockey, who sees a rider in front of him take an unexpected fall. After the race, with the rider critically ill, he revists the scene of the accident and finds evidence of foul play. By the time he involves the police though, the evidence has disappeared, and so Alan determines to find out what he can by himself. I think this is the first DF book, written in 1962 and it does feel a bit dated in style, but not a bad read all the same. Don't know if I'd bother re-reading it though. Completed : 17-Mar-2005

Question: Written in 1962, 'Dead Cert' was whose first novel?
Answer: Dick Francis